


Wrapped as You'd Expect

by summerartist



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-23 20:42:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14941053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerartist/pseuds/summerartist
Summary: Jack receives two gifts that surprise him and the Guardians are a little concerned.





	1. Chapter 1

“ _A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect_.” -Jonathan Lockwood Huie

 

It was a chilly night in late winter. The moonlight sparkled against the snow and within the miniature ice crystals. One barefoot spirit was out wandering in the cold by himself. He passed by the evergreen trees weighed down with snow and a frozen pond shone behind him in the distance.

 

Jack was tempted to make it precipitate vigorously one last time before spring set in. It was such a still dusk and something about the silence was captivating and it held him enthralled. He would skip calling down a flurry, only just for tonight. He wished to wander alone for a while with his thoughts and the enchanting atmosphere for company.

 

The wind tickled his face and Jack smiled softly, fondly. The spirit continued on. It was a beautiful evening and he was loathe to disturb it or be disturbed during it. He should have known that others would seek out this peaceful night as well.

 

A whinny echoed in the distance.

 

Jack paused. The sound was vaguely familiar and somewhat eerie in the stillness. Could it really be what he thought it was?

 

Jack started taking longer strides in the direction of the noise. Soon he had reached a steady gait with firm and purposeful footsteps, hoping to see some sign of the wild animal.

 

A particularly distinct shadow stretched across the moonlit hill. Its various parts moved in tandem with the rest of its body, shifting and bowing with its canter. It was a true Nightmare if Jack had ever seen one and yet it looked different somehow, like it had grown slightly in size. Jack was curious and found himself going over to investigate.

 

Jack took to the air and hurtled through the distance between him and the horse. He landed lightly and soundlessly, almost holding his breath. Another shrill whinny made his hackles raise and he tightened his grip on his crook.

 

Jack glanced around, noting his strange surroundings. Small pillars covered in snow rose up from the earth and dotted the hillside sporadically. Jack could almost feel the spiritual vibrations in the earth and the imprint of the souls that had occupied it. He was in a cemetery. It was a run down resting place and the neglect and quiet only served to make it more ominous.

 

Then he saw it, standing there in all of its dark majesty and horror inducing elements. It was powerful and dangerous and far too different from the nightmares he had previously seen.

 

“Wow...you’ve upgraded.”

 

The horse was as massive as a stormcloud and just about as foreboding. It was making no threatening moves towards him and so he watched it and tried to keep far enough back as to not catch its formidable attention.

 

He could take on the regular Nightmares just fine but something like this would likely need a little expertise or some back up. He would hate to get on this thing’s bad side.

 

“Do you like it?”

 

A silky smooth voice pierced through the dark. A slim shadow of a man lay languidly across a silhouette of stone. Jack could see the beady gleam of his eyes watching him. It was so very fitting to find the Boogeyman here hiding in a cemetery that was all crumbled and forgotten. Jack supposed he should have expected to meet his old adversary on such a night.

 

“It’s the product of a wild imagination. I hardly had to lift a finger to evoke its birth. It’s truly a sight to behold, is it not?”

 

Pitch was watching the dark spirit with something like pride in his gaze. The nightmare nickered and pawed at the ground.

 

“It doesn’t seem that wonderful,” Jack said.

 

The Boogeyman for the most part chose to ignore him and instead shifted his form so that he was perfectly draped across the tomb and rattled on. It was clear that Pitch was feeling talkative. Given how he had managed to drive the other spirits away it was no wonder he was searching for a friendly ear.

 

“This modern age produces some true works of art and terror. What a time to be alive, eh? The digital age has so much to offer when the masses can enjoy horrors played out in high definition and riveting detail. Any fears the human mind can conjure up can be shared with all. So many nightmares...” The Boogeyman trailed off, ecstasy blooming momentarily over his features. A hateful look quickly replaced his enjoyment.

 

“The Guardians never cease getting in my way, giving them sentimental stories and entertainment, brainwashing them with drivel and nonsense. You know what I think, Jack? I think they’re afraid to let them dare to face their reality, to really see the world around them.”

 

Jack leaned on his staff, head tilting as he listened. He had to admit that some of the things Jamie and Sophie were exposed to seemed pretty mindless. Scenarios were often unrealistic in these modern day tales and entertainment. Despite being the spirit of fun he had to admit that the Boogeyman had a point.

 

At the same time he was also aware that sometimes the world was too serious and stressful for kids. Jack remembered Jamie’s toothy grin as he watched his favorite super heroes and how he gasped and smiled at the stories that played out on the screen. These were the tales of hope and good deeds. Surely something that made Jamie’s day infinitely better was not brainwashing or a waste of time, despite what Pitch said. Jack would have liked having such easy distractions from the hunger and the cold when he was growing up. Maybe that was why Pitch hated these stories, an occupied mind was rarely a fearful one after all. Jack’s skepticism must have shown on his face for Pitch turned a sour look on him.

 

“Think what you want Jack, but the fact remains that you chose the wrong side. I chose the path of honesty while you chose to hide in your fairy tales and pleasant endings. There are no good endings for so many children around the world.”

 

Jack's response was bitter.

 

“Because of you.”

 

Pitch laughed lightly. “Oh yes, I do fill their little heads with nightmares but I must, better for them to see some scrap of the truth than empty promises and broken dreams.”

 

Pitch coughed, clearing his throat. “It’s no matter. I didn’t come here to debate with you.”

 

Jack watched as Pitch straightened up. He gracefully rose and made a small show of dusting off his nonexistent sleeves and then glanced over his shoulder distractedly. Jack watched this with a frown as Pitch continued speaking.

 

“I came to give you a little gift, one that’s long overdue.”

 

“What…?”

 

The Boogeyman glanced over his shoulder again and began backing away slowly. He whistled, trilling sound filling the silence and whispering along the breeze. The shrillness rose to a crescendo as it broke over Jack on the hillside.

 

“Merry belated Christmas, Jack.”

 

With that, the Boogeyman disintegrated into the darkness and was swallowed up completely by the night.

 

Jack was left standing there in the stillness. He stared out at the place Pitch had disappeared, still trying to puzzle over what the Boogeyman had meant by a gift. Air whispered behind him and Jack froze in the next moment as he felt warm breath tickling the back of his neck. The sharp whistle had obviously been used as a summons.  Jack kept very still, adrenaline building up in his system.

 

If he was going to get out of this one he was going to need to move fast and strike without thought. He did not even swallow as he gathered his strength to him. Then, in a thrust like a flash of lightening, he turned and struck out with his crook. The staff never made contact. As if it had been expecting this precise form of attack the Nightmare dodged it, neck arching down as it easily sidestepped the blow. It was clear that the beast was intelligent and that Jack would have to think harder about how to catch it by surprise.

 

One thing Jack knew about battle and strategy is that it usually helped to get to higher ground.

 

Jack took a step backward and jumped into the air. The creature followed him as Jack knew it would and it kept close to his heels. The Nightmare trailed after him as they rose into the sky, becoming beings of light and dark in pursuit of each other. The mare lunged and snapped with its teeth as Jack dodged back. Jack jabbed at its midriff with his staff but the creature twisted around him and threw him off balance.

 

A loud neigh rang in his ears and seemed to echo. Jack felt a large mass of sand, much like a punching bag, make contact with his face. He felt the impact rebound and a flash of white light momentarily lit up his vision.

 

Jack was only slightly startled by taking a hit, but he quickly recovered enough to start gathering his magic to him. As if sensing the shift in the air the nightmare twisted backwards. Its golden eyes seemed to widen in alarm. It was too late for the creature to react before Jack finally gathered back a roiling orb of magical power. His arms coiled and he slung the invisible manifestation of his power at the horse. Its whinny was like a scream this time as the projectile made contact with its dark essence. The impact was deafening as it scattered the remains of the spirit in all different directions and a cloud of fine particles hung in its wake.

 

Jack was blasted backward for a moment before he could recover his balance. He windmilled his arms to realign with the direction of the wind as he attempted to level out. A splash of contrasting color caught his eye and made him do a double take. Jack let the wind carry him as he tried to make out where it was coming from in the darkness. The investigation did not last long as he quickly spotted the red droplets on his right hand and felt something wet trickling over his cheek.

 

The blunt impact with the nightmare’s face had hurt but he felt like he had not sustained serious damage at the time. Jack reached towards the right side of his face. His eyebrow stung a little upon contact with his hand and his knuckles came away redder.

 

Jack slowly descended from the sky and landed lightly on the snow. Small droplets made contact with the frost and sank down through to the soil. Jack found himself frowning over the injury but still triumphant about banishing the Nightmare from reality. He allowed himself to dwell on his victory for a few moments and took several deep and relieved breaths. He found himself grinning over the bubbly sensation within him.

 

He had done it! He had taken on a massive upgraded Nightmare all by himself. He skipped over the snow, letting Wind lift him up every few steps. He could not wait to tell the other Guardians about this, and no doubt they would be proud of him. The thought made Jack beam. He celebrated to himself with only the light of the moon for company.

 

Eventually when he had had his share of celebration he decided to fly back to Burgess.

 

With the excitement of the battle fading and the silence reigning again Jack started to notice the sensations that his body was broadcasting from his nervous system. It was with mild discomfort that he noticed that his head throbbed with a low-grade headache.

 

To remedy this Jack found his favorite burrow beneath the snow by the lake in Burgess and chose to spend the rest of the night there. Here he could ride the sensations out. He bedded down like an animal going into hibernation and shut his eyes. It was an ideal way to recuperate and ponder over his future plans. He found his mind being drawn towards thinking about the other Guardians.

 

It had been a while since he had visited North’s workshop. He longed to see his friends and the Yetis that he had come to know over the years. Maybe in a couple of days he would visit and give them a little warning about Pitch being in a spiteful mood.

For now things were good for Jack and the Guardians, as evidenced by his victory. The Spirit of Fun drifted off to sleep with a slight smile on his face. Everything was sure to be fine.


	2. Chapter 2

  
It took Jack a couple of days to get ahead in his seasonal work in order to have plenty of time to visit the Pole. Not that he took his work as a serious matter, but he did have kids relying on him to bring them a few snow days before winter ended. He had instigated many end-of-season snowball fights and he covered both cars and houses in ice in the northern hemisphere.

 

After he had his fun he made his way to the workshop and arrived in time to watch the start of preparations for next year’s Christmas in full force. Everything from last year had been put away and there was the smell of new paints and plastics for electronics in the air. Everyone was busy toiling away as Jack found his way through and infiltrated the center of activity.

 

As always, the Yetis were glad to see him.

 

“Hey Phil!” Jack called happily to his infamous Yeti guard friend.

 

The Yeti turned, already glaring daggers in the direction of the young trouble-making spirit. Jack saw his long fur bristle as he inhaled in order to start grumbling at him for intruding. After about a second of staring at Jack, the Yeti’s sour look faded. His expression fell lax. The grumpy look was gone so fast it was as if Jack had imagined it and something was quickly forming in its place. Jack tilted his head. The expression was something he could not quite identify and he could do nothing but ask about it.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

The Yeti had just started to tell him when the large exterior foyer doors were thrown back. A great gust of air rushed in and the door was hastily shut again. Jack stared as he spotted Tooth, Bunny, and North taking up the doorway while Sandy trailed behind them. Bunny and North were arguing yet again while Sandy looked as if he was barely refraining from rolling his eyes at the pair. Tooth was whispering something to Sandy as she fluttered in front of him.

 

The Guardians came to an abrupt halt as they all simultaneously spotted Jack. The surprise etched on their faces was almost comical and the awkward pause was drawn out. Clearly they had not expected to see him here and not when they were all here for some purpose. Jack was curious but he played it off as a casual run in.

 

Jack smiled, waving. “Hey guys, remember me? New Guardian, helped you defeat Pitch…”

 

They were still staring at him as if he had become the spirit of summer, looking not so much startled as shocked. They had all frozen mid argument. Bunny’s nose twitched. They all seemed to talk at once until their words layered over each other.

 

“Jack, what happened?”

 

“Are you all right?”

 

“Blimey, mate.”

 

Now it was Jack’s turn to stare at them with bemusement. “What?”

 

He felt a featherlight hand touch his shoulder. Tooth’s voice rang out.

 

“Your eye, Jack. What happened to your eye?”

 

Jack took a step back, collecting his thoughts. So that was why everyone was acting so strangely. He had been wondering why everyone’s expressions were so peculiar and it seemed it had to do with his minor injuries.

 

Jack was aware that he had a rather noticeable shiner over his right eye along with a small scar above his eyebrow. That section of his face was sore but the pain was negligible and hardly worth mentioning. Jack’s shoulders started to shake. The Guardians all froze again as Jack started to laugh. Bunny’s ears flipped backward as he watched the Guardian of Fun chuckle.

 

“What’s so funny about looking like something the cat drug in?” Bunny’s face was a confusing array of emotions, ones that Jack could not even hope to untangle.

 

“It’s fine. It’s not that bad.”

 

His assurances seemed to fall on deaf ears as North frowned darkly at some unseen foe. Really, it was touching how worked up they were getting about a little bruise. Jack shrugged it off with as much nonchalance as he could muster and explained.

 

“I had an encounter with a Nightmare in the northern hemisphere. I destroyed it before it could do any more damage to Sandy’s dreamsand but not before it got a little too close.”

 

“A Nightmare did this?” North asked slowly.

 

The Guardians were watching him for confirmation. Jack nodded, expression still confused. He was truly puzzled by their reactions as they seemed so concerned over a tiny mark. The Guardians were always so tough, so willing to take their share of cuts and bruises on the battlefield but here they were worrying over a trifle.

 

The tension that had been in the room faded and the Guardians relaxed.

 

“Good,” Bunny said loudly in what seemed like relief. “I thought someone might have-might have-...yeah.”

 

He ended the statement awkwardly without stating his point but it had been clear for all to see. Jack’s face lit up with a teasing smile even as a small bit of pleasant warmth formed near his core. He hopped up on top of a ceiling rafter and gracefully hooked his leg over it. He let gravity tug him down until he was hanging upside down with a gleeful smile on his features.

 

“Aww. You thought someone punched me.”

 

A brief flicker of discomfort flashed across Bunny’s face. It was then that Jack remembered that Bunny had once nearly punched him. That seemed like a lifetime ago though, back when they hardly knew each other and what was hidden in their cores.

 

“You were _worried_ about me, ” Jack sing-songed at the shame-faced spirit of Hope.

 

Bunny regarded him for a moment, shame morphing into bravado and general embarrassment along with something that was almost like relief. The memory of the incident was still creased into his face but upon seeing Jack so carefree he let his ears flip forward. Jack slipped down from his perch and righted himself on the ground to talk to them.

 

“Seriously though, it’s all good. I barely notice it’s there and it doesn’t even need a cold compress.”

 

Bunny made a grunt that was more like a snort and Tooth smirked at his last statement. Jack brightened when it seemed that the Guardians had finally stopped being such worry warts. Still, it was nice to have someone actually care about him like that. He had not experienced much of it during his lifetime and he found it weirdly reassuring.

 

With his core feeling a little lighter he broached the burning topic. “So, what brings you all to the Pole? And why wasn’t I invited?”

 

Instead of avoiding his query like he expected they were immediately ready to answer his questions.

 

Tooth smiled. “Bunny was about to go get you. It’s- North got us Christmas presents this year.”

 

Jack blinked, Pitch’s sinister Christmas wishes ringing in his ears. North drew himself up while beaming happily at them. The echo of Pitch’s duplicity faded in the wake of the merry visage of the spirit of Christmas.

 

“We can’t do it every year or it wouldn’t be special anymore. I usually arrange it after Christmas so it’s stress free, you know?”

 

Tooth beamed and flushed with pleasure as she showed him a small embroidered bag slung over her shoulder. “North made me a new tooth pouch.”

 

Now that she was going out into the field it seemed ideal to have an extra bag for tooth collection.

 

North went on to explain this tradition they all had when Jack found his mind frozen in panic. He had not gotten anyone anything! He had not known anything about this after-Christmas tradition or he would have at least looked for some tokens of his affection. Though he hardly knew what centuries old beings could want he would have tried his best.

 

“I-! I didn’t get-”

 

Sandy smiled at him and shook his head.

 

North explained. “ _I_ bring everyone presents. It’s part of being Santa, no?”

 

Bunny grinned. “All you have to do is accept the gift.”

 

Jack nodded, a determined look crossing his face. He could do this. He would be sure to thank North profusely for whatever he received. Jack was still becoming accustomed to sweets and so he doubted that North would give him those in large quantities. He was not usually a consideration for Christmas toys but he could play with them with Jamie. Maybe it was something festive like a holiday sweater and socks…

 

A Yeti crept up behind North bearing a book in his paws. North spun around. “Aha! There it is. Merry belated Christmas, Jack.”

 

The words seemed to be whispered back to him by the shadows in the room. Jack shook the effect away and held out his hands for the book.

 

“Thank you, North.”

 

He had to admit that a book was an unusual choice as a gift for the Guardian of Fun but he was still pleased. It had been so very many years since he had received anything and he could hardly wait to read it. He smiled brightly, only halting a little when he noticed the heavy coating of dust underneath his fingertips.

 

“Oh! Let me get that for you.”

 

North took the book back and blew a great gust of air over the binding. The dust flecked off in a cloud and Bunny sneezed.

 

“There we go, good as new.” North handed him his present back, beaming as he watched Jack take hold of it again.

 

Jack really appreciated the thought, though his core sunk a little at the possibility that North had not thought. He examined the old and battered text and again wondered why North had chosen a tome on genealogy.

 

“Thank you so much.”

 

Jack put on his most genuine appreciative face. He was not ungrateful and he really did love the fact that he had received a gift. Perhaps he looked more bemused than he thought because Bunny spoke up.

 

“Look inside, yah gumby.”

 

Jack finally really looked at the book in his hands. The title was almost faded out but he picked up bits and pieces and what he found made him frown deeply in puzzlement. Did this have something to do with-

 

Sandy was pointing a giant sand arrow at the side of the book and something hanging down from it. Someone had stuck a new shiny bookmarker in the old text. Taking the hint, Jack flipped to the page.

 

There were two family trees on the page, meandering and weaving together in complex ways while the bottom of the page was tangled with footnotes in tiny print. Jack’s gaze skimmed over the pages and then stopped. He readjusted the book in his hands and started reading through the lines of text again, infinitely more slowly. His breathing hitched. As he read his eyes grew wet and a smile started to bloom across his features. His legs suddenly felt a little wobbly.

 

So lost was he in the discovery Jack almost jumped out of his skin as a roughly padded paw landed on the top of his head and smoothed over his hair. He glanced up to find the Guardians watching him, smiling fondly. Jack found his gaze wrenched back towards the book as he went over the same cluster of names over and over again. She was here, his parents were here, their descendants were here. Here was proof that she lived and had had a family.

 

He held the book to his chest with unsteady hands and a fluttering core. He cleared his throat. “Thank you.”

 

He supposed he looked a little pitiful hugging this text to himself gratefully while sporting a black eye and happy tears. The Guardians did not seem to mind though and nor did they pity him in this happy revelation. Tooth’s face was aglow and North beamed with pride at the excellent reception of his gift. Bunny chuckled and both he and Sandy surprisingly went slowly in for a hug. Jack was startled to find the sensation of both sand and fur embracing him. He was less surprised when a feathered and muscular body joined in the embrace and he found himself in the center of a group hug. Jack freed one of his arms and hugged back.

 

“I can’t thank you enough. Where did you find this?”

 

North launched into a long-winded explanation involving libraries, old filing systems, and genealogists in a tale that Jack only half managed to follow. It was clear that it had taken a while to track down Jack’s ancestry and find a printed record like this.

 

Jack had never felt so warm on the inside and it was entirely pleasant too. He let out a happy sigh as he clutched the proof that his family had gone on.

 

As far as belated Christmases went this was one of his favorites. Not even the Boogeyman could spoil this moment for him while surrounded by the loving Guardians of childhood. He may have lost a family a long time ago and nothing could replace them in his heart...but he was not without a place in the present.

 

The End.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bunch of plot bunnies jumped me at once and this mish mash is a result. Hopefully it’s an entertaining mish mash.


End file.
